Northwestern junior wrestler Jake Herbert defeated Iowa State’s Jake Varner 6-1 to win the NCAA Championship on Saturday night.
Herbert, who came into the NCAA Championships ranked No. 1 at 184 pounds, finished the year 32-0.
His win vaulted the Wildcats to fourth in the team standings, which tied the best finish in school history.
The two-time defending Big Ten champion made it to the finals of the NCAA Championships last year but couldn’t earn the victory. This time around Herbert was in control throughout the match en route to earning the Cats’ first individual championship since 1990.
Junior Ryan Lang fell in the finals of the 141-pound division. Junior heavyweight Dustin Fox finished third and junior 197-pounder Mike Tamillow earned a seventh-place finish, giving the Cats four All-Americans.
– Staff Reports
